Cassette for substrates of display devices

ABSTRACT

A cassette for receiving at least one substrate for a display device includes a base; and a first wall extending in a direction generally perpendicular to an upper surface of the base and a plurality of first projections extending from the first wall in a first direction and arranged in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction at substantially regular intervals. A first opening is defined between adjacent first projections to receive one end of a first substrate, the first opening includes a first portion having a first width in the second direction and a second portion having a second width greater than the first width, and the first portion is disposed closer to the first wall than the second portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/095,668, filed on Nov. 11, 2020, which claims priority from and thebenefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0014506, filed on Feb.6, 2020, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference for allpurposes as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND Field

Implementations of the invention relate generally to a cassette and morespecifically, to a cassette for transporting a substrate of a displaydevice.

Discussion of the Background

Substrates are essential for the manufacture of electrical andelectronic circuits, semiconductors, and display devices. The substratesare formed of various types of materials, such as a synthetic resin, aglass, and a wafer. The substrates for the production of the electricand electronic circuits, semiconductors, and display devices arecompleted as a finished product through various processes. In this case,the substrates are accommodated in a transport device, such as a tray,and moved from one process line to another process line.

The above information disclosed in this Background section is only forunderstanding of the background of the inventive concepts, and,therefore, it may contain information that does not constitute priorart.

SUMMARY

Applicant discovered that when the slots between the ribs of a cassettefor a substrate of a display device have a uniform or constant widthalong the longitudinal direction of the ribs, the ribs of the cassettemay be damaged in a manufacturing process thereof, and the slots betweenthe ribs of the cassette may not be formed in the shape of the used inthe manufacturing process.

Cassettes for holding substrates of display devices constructedaccording to the principles of implementations of the invention arecapable of preventing the ribs of the cassette from being damaged in themanufacturing process. For example, the slots between the ribs of thecassette may be curved and/or have widths that gradually increase in alongitudinal direction extending toward the inward opening of the slots.

Cassettes for holding substrates of display devices constructedaccording to the principles of implementations of the invention arecapable of easily accommodating substrates of display devices having acurved edge and a thin thickness without damaging the tray or thesubstrate.

Additional features of the inventive concepts will be set forth in thedescription which follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the inventive concepts.

According to one aspect of the invention, a cassette for receiving atleast one substrate for a display device includes a base; and a firstwall extending in a direction generally perpendicular to an uppersurface of the base and a plurality of first projections extending fromthe first wall in a first direction and arranged in a second directiongenerally perpendicular to the first direction at substantially regularintervals, wherein: a first opening is defined between adjacent firstprojections to receive one end of a first substrate, the first openingincludes a first portion having a first width in the second directionand a second portion having a second width greater than the first width,and the first portion is disposed closer to the first wall than thesecond portion.

The first width may be substantially constant.

The second width may gradually increase inwardly in the first direction.

The first wall may include a first sidewall, and the first projectionsmay include first ribs, and wherein each of the first ribs may include:a first outer surface having a first surface portion projecting from thefirst sidewall and being substantially parallel to the first directionand a second surface portion inclined from the first surface portionalong the second direction; a second outer surface projecting from thefirst sidewall, facing the first outer surface, and being substantiallyparallel to the first surface portion; and a third outer surfaceconnecting the first outer surface to the second outer surface.

The second surface portion of the first outer surface may be closer thesecond outer surface of the first outer surface in the second directionthan the first surface portion of the first outer surface.

The third outer surface may include a curved surface.

The cassette may further include a second wall facing the first wall inthe first direction, wherein the second wall extends in a directiongenerally perpendicular to the upper surface of the base and mayinclude: a plurality of second projections facing the first projections,projecting from the second wall in the first direction, and arranged inthe second direction at substantially regular intervals, and secondopening defined between adjacent second projections to receive the otherend of the first substrate.

The second opening may include a third portion having the first widthand a fourth portion having the second width, and the third portion maybe disposed closer to the second wall than the fourth portion.

The first and second openings may include first and second slots,respectively, and the second slot has a shape substantially linearlysymmetrical to the first slot.

The first wall may include a first sidewall, the first projections mayinclude first ribs, the second wall may include a second side wall, andthe second projections may include second ribs. The second ribs may havea shape substantially linearly symmetrical to the first ribs,respectively.

The cassette may further include a third wall, wherein: the second wallmay further include a plurality of third projections substantiallylinearly symmetrical to the second projections with respect to thesecond wall, and the third wall may extend in the directionsubstantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the base, and mayinclude a plurality of fourth projections facing the third projections,projecting from the third wall in the first direction, and arranged inthe second direction at substantially regular intervals.

A third opening may be defined between adjacent third projections toreceive one end of a second substrate, a fourth opening may be definedbetween adjacent fourth projections to receive the other end of thesecond substrate is accommodated, the third opening may include a fifthportion having the first width in the second direction and a sixthportion having the second width in the second direction, the fourthopening may include a seventh portion having the first width and aneighth portion having the second width in the second direction, thefifth portion may be closer to the second wall than the sixth portion,and the seventh portion may be closer to the third wall than the eighthportion.

The fourth opening may have a shape substantially linearly symmetricalto the third opening.

The first substrate may include: a substantially flat portion; a firstedge portion bent from one end of the substantially flat portion andaccommodated in the first opening; and a second edge portion bent fromthe other end of the substantially flat portion and accommodated in thesecond opening.

The first wall may include a first sidewall, and the first projectionsmay include first ribs, and wherein each of the first ribs may include:a first outer surface projecting from the first sidewall and inclinedalong the second direction; a second outer surface projecting from thefirst sidewall, facing the first outer surface, and being substantiallyparallel to the first direction; and a third outer surface connectingthe first outer surface to the second outer surface and including acurved surface in at least a portion thereof.

The first width may gradually increase along the first direction in thefirst opening, and the second width may gradually increase along thefirst direction in the second opening.

According to another aspect of the invention, a cassette for receivingat least one substrate for a display device includes: a base; a firstwall and a second wall, which are spaced apart from each other in afirst direction to face each other and extend in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the base; and aplurality of first projections extending from the first wall in thefirst direction and arranged in a second direction substantiallyperpendicular to the first direction at substantially regular intervalsand a plurality of second projections extending from the second wall inthe first direction and arranged in the second direction at projectionsregular intervals, wherein each of the first projections includes: afirst outer surface including a first portion protruding from the firstwall and being substantially parallel to the first direction and asecond portion inclined from the first portion along the seconddirection; and a second outer surface projecting from the first wall andbeing substantially parallel to the first portion.

The second portion may be closer to the second outer surface in thesecond direction than the first portion.

The second projections may have a shape substantially linearlysymmetrical with respect to first projections, respectively.

The cassette may further include a third outer surface connecting thefirst outer surface to the second outer surface.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are illustrative and explanatory andare intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, andtogether with the description serve to explain the inventive concepts.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a cassette for holdingsubstrates of a display device constructed according to the principlesof the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cassette of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of area AA shown in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a rib of the cassette of FIG. 3 .

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cassette of FIG. 1 illustrating thecassette having a plurality of substrates accommodated therein.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the cassetteconstructed according to the principles of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an accommodating portion of the cassette ofFIG. 6 .

FIG. 8 is a plan view of another embodiment of the cassette constructedaccording to the principles of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a rib of the cassette of FIG. 8 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of various embodiments or implementations of theinvention. As used herein “embodiments” and “implementations” areinterchangeable words that are non-limiting examples of devices ormethods employing one or more of the inventive concepts disclosedherein. It is apparent, however, that various embodiments may bepracticed without these specific details or with one or more equivalentarrangements. In other instances, well-known structures and devices areshown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuringvarious embodiments. Further, various embodiments may be different, butdo not have to be exclusive. For example, specific shapes,configurations, and characteristics of an embodiment may be used orimplemented in another embodiment without departing from the inventiveconcepts.

Unless otherwise specified, the illustrated embodiments are to beunderstood as providing illustrative features of varying detail of someways in which the inventive concepts may be implemented in practice.Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the features, components,modules, layers, films, panels, regions, and/or aspects, etc.(hereinafter individually or collectively referred to as “elements”), ofthe various embodiments may be otherwise combined, separated,interchanged, and/or rearranged without departing from the inventiveconcepts.

The use of cross-hatching and/or shading in the accompanying drawings isgenerally provided to clarify boundaries between adjacent elements. Assuch, neither the presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shadingconveys or indicates any preference or requirement for particularmaterials, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalitiesbetween illustrated elements, and/or any other characteristic,attribute, property, etc., of the elements, unless specified. Further,in the accompanying drawings, the size and relative sizes of elementsmay be exaggerated for clarity and/or descriptive purposes. When anembodiment may be implemented differently, a specific process order maybe performed differently from the described order. For example, twoconsecutively described processes may be performed substantially at thesame time or performed in an order opposite to the described order.Also, like reference numerals denote like elements.

When an element, such as a layer, is referred to as being “on,”“connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may bedirectly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer orintervening elements or layers may be present. When, however, an elementor layer is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,”or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are nointervening elements or layers present. To this end, the term“connected” may refer to physical, electrical, and/or fluid connection,with or without intervening elements. Further, the D1-axis, the D2-axis,and the D3-axis are not limited to three axes of a rectangularcoordinate system, such as the x, y, and z-axes, and may be interpretedin a broader sense. For example, the D1-axis, the D2-axis, and theD3-axis may be perpendicular to one another, or may represent differentdirections that are not perpendicular to one another. For the purposesof this disclosure, “at least one of X, Y, and Z” and “at least oneselected from the group consisting of X, Y, and Z” may be construed as Xonly, Y only, Z only, or any combination of two or more of X, Y, and Z,such as, for instance, XYZ, XYY, YZ, and ZZ. As used herein, the term“and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of theassociated listed items.

Although the terms “first,” “second,” etc. may be used herein todescribe various types of elements, these elements should not be limitedby these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element fromanother element. Thus, a first element discussed below could be termed asecond element without departing from the teachings of the disclosure.

Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “under,” “lower,”“above,” “upper,” “over,” “higher,” “side” (e.g., as in “sidewall”), andthe like, may be used herein for descriptive purposes, and, thereby, todescribe one elements relationship to another element(s) as illustratedin the drawings. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompassdifferent orientations of an apparatus in use, operation, and/ormanufacture in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. Forexample, if the apparatus in the drawings is turned over, elementsdescribed as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would thenbe oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, theillustrative term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above andbelow. Furthermore, the apparatus may be otherwise oriented (e.g.,rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and, as such, thespatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, thesingular forms, “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the pluralforms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Moreover,the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including,”when used in this specification, specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/orgroups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one ormore other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components,and/or groups thereof. It is also noted that, as used herein, the terms“substantially,” “about,” and other similar terms, are used as terms ofapproximation and not as terms of degree, and, as such, are utilized toaccount for inherent deviations in measured, calculated, and/or providedvalues that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

Various embodiments are described herein with reference to sectionaland/or exploded illustrations that are schematic illustrations ofidealized embodiments and/or intermediate structures. As such,variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, forexample, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to beexpected. Thus, embodiments disclosed herein should not necessarily beconstrued as limited to the particular illustrated shapes of regions,but are to include deviations in shapes that result from, for instance,manufacturing. In this manner, regions illustrated in the drawings maybe schematic in nature and the shapes of these regions may not reflectactual shapes of regions of a device and, as such, are not necessarilyintended to be limiting.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure is a part. Terms,such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should beinterpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning inthe context of the relevant art and should not be interpreted in anidealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.

Hereinafter, certain embodiments will be explained in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a cassette for holdingsubstrates of a display device constructed according to the principlesof the invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cassette of FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a cassette for a substrate (hereinafter,referred to as a “substrate cassette”) 10 may include a base in the formof a plate 100, a first wall in the form of an accommodating portion200, and a second wall in the form of an accommodating portion 300. Asused herein, “cassette” refers to any structure such as a, casing,container, housing, tray, etc., capable of supporting a plurality ofdisplay substrates.

The plate 100 may be any type of support member that is capable ofsupporting components of the substrate cassette 10 and a plurality ofsubstrates accommodated in the substrate cassette 10. The plate 100 maybe substantially parallel to a plane defined by a first direction DR1and a second direction DR2. A normal line direction of the plate 100,i.e., a thickness direction of the plate 100, may indicate a thirddirection DR3.

In the following descriptions, the expression “when viewed in plan or onplane” means a state of being viewed in the third direction DR3. Front(or upper) and rear (or lower) surfaces of each layer or each unit aredistinguished from each other in the third direction DR3. However,directions indicated by the first, second, and third directions DR1,DR2, and DR3 are relative to each other, and thus, the directionsindicated by the first, second, and third directions DR1, DR2, and DR3may be changed to other directions, for example, opposite directions.

The plate 100 may include a plastic substrate, a glass substrate, ametal substrate, or an organic/inorganic composite substrate. Inaddition, the plate 100 may include a paper material and may have apredetermined thickness to withstand or support the load of thesubstrates.

The first accommodating portion 200 may be adjacent to one end of theplate 100 in the first direction DR1, and the second accommodatingportion 300 may be adjacent to the other end of the plate 100 in thefirst direction DR1. The first accommodating portion 200 and the secondaccommodating portion 300 may face each other in the first direction DR1and may be disposed on the plate 100 to be spaced apart from each other.

According to the embodiments, a plurality of openings that may be in theforms of slots that accommodate at least one substrate CS may be definedin each of the first accommodating portion 200 and the secondaccommodating portion 300. In the illustrated embodiment, the substrateCS may be one substrate as one of components of the display device. Inthe following descriptions, the substrate CS will be described as awindow of the display device purely for descriptive convenience.

Referring to FIG. 2 , a plurality of first slots ST1 that accommodatesone ends of the substrates CS may be defined in the first accommodatingportion 200, and a plurality of second slots ST2 that accommodates theother ends of the substrates CS may be defined in the secondaccommodating portion 300.

In detail, the first accommodating portion 200 may include a firstsidewall 210 and a plurality of first lateral projection that may be inthe form of ribs 220. The first sidewall 210 may project from an uppersurface of the plate 100 in the third direction DR3 and extend in thesecond direction DR2. The first ribs 220 may project in the firstdirection DR1 and may be arranged in the second direction DR2 at regularintervals. For example, the adjacent first ribs 220 may be spaced apartfrom each other by a substantially constant interval in the seconddirection DR2.

Each first slot ST1 may be defined by two first ribs 220 adjacent toeach other. Each first slot ST1 may be an empty space between the twofirst ribs 220 adjacent to each other and spaced apart from each otherby the substantially constant interval in the second direction DR2.

The second accommodating portion 300 may include a second sidewall 310and a plurality of second ribs 320. The second sidewall 310 may projectfrom the upper surface of the plate 100 in the third direction DR3 andextend in the second direction DR2. The second ribs 320 may project inthe first direction DR1 and may be arranged in the second direction DR2at regular intervals. For example, the adjacent second ribs 320 may bespaced apart from each other by a substantially constant interval in thesecond direction DR2. The second ribs 320 may respectively face thefirst ribs 220 in the first direction DR1.

Each second slot ST2 may be defined by two second ribs 320 adjacent toeach other. Each second slot ST2 may be an empty space between the twosecond ribs 320 adjacent to each other and spaced apart from each otherby the substantially constant interval in the second direction DR2.

In an embodiment, the plate 100, the first accommodating portion 200,and the second accommodating portion 300 may be integrally formed witheach other. Each of the first sidewall 210 and the second sidewall 310disposed on the plate 100 may project in the third direction DR3 fromthe plate 100. In addition, the first ribs 220 may project from thefirst sidewall 210 and be integrally formed with the first sidewall 210.The second ribs 320 may project from the second sidewall 310 and beintegrally formed with the second sidewall 310.

In another embodiment, the plate 100, the first accommodating portion200, and the second accommodating portion 300 may be separately formedfrom each other. In this case, a first hole in which the first sidewall210 is disposed and a second hole in which the second sidewall 310 isdisposed may be defined in the upper surface of the plate 100. Each ofthe first hole and the second hole may extend in the second directionDR2 and may be recessed from the upper surface of the plate 100. Thefirst ribs 220 may project from the first sidewall 210 and be integrallyformed with the first sidewall 210. The second ribs 320 may project fromthe second sidewall 310 and be integrally formed with the secondsidewall 310.

The first ribs 220 and the second ribs 320 may have a linear symmetricalshape with respect to a reference line substantially parallel to thesecond direction DR2. The reference line may be a center line betweenthe first accommodating portion 200 and the second accommodating portion300. In other words, the first ribs 220 may respectively face the secondribs 320 in the first direction DR1 and may have a shape linearlysymmetrical with respect to the second ribs 320.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the substrate CS accommodated in the substratecassette 10 may include a substantially flat portion FP, a first edgeportion SS1 bent from one end of the substantially flat portion FP, anda second edge portion SS2 bent from the other end of the substantiallyflat portion FP. The substantially flat portion FP of the substrate CSmay be supported by the plate 100. The first edge portion SS1 of thesubstrate CS may be supported by the first slot ST1, and the second edgeportion SS2 of the substrate CS may be supported by the second slot ST2.

As described above, the substrate cassette 10 may accommodate thesubstrates CS by receiving the opposite ends of the substrates in thefirst slots ST1 and the second slots ST2. The first edge portion SS1 andthe second edge portion SS2 of each of the substrates CS may besupported, respectively, by the one first slot ST1 and the one secondslot ST2, which face each other in the first direction DR1 and arerespectively defined by the first ribs 220 and the second ribs 320.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of area AA shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 4 is a planview of a rib of the cassette of FIG. 3 . FIG. 5 is a plan view of thecassette of FIG. 1 illustrating the cassette having a substrateaccommodated therein.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show one or more ribs of the first ribs 220 included inthe first accommodating portion 200 as a representative example, andeach of the first ribs 220 may have a shape corresponding to the shapeof the first rib 220 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 . Each of the second ribs320 may have a shape linearly symmetrical to the first rib 220 shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 .

In detail, referring to FIG. 3 , each of the first ribs 220 may extendfrom the first sidewall 210 in the first direction DR1. In addition, thefirst slot ST1 may be defined between the two first ribs 220 adjacent toeach other.

The first slot ST1 may include a first opening in the form of a firstslot portion PA1 and a second opening in the form of a second slotportion PA2, and the first slot portion PA1 may be closer the firstsidewall 210 than the second slot portion PA2 in the first directionDR1. Each of the first slot portion PA1 and the second slot portion PA2may have a slot shape extending longitudinally in the first directionDR1.

The first slot portion PA1 may have a first width WH1 in the seconddirection DR2. The first width WH1 of the first slot portion PA1 may besubstantially uniform in the longitudinal direction and may have agenerally quadrangular shape when viewed in plan.

The second slot portion PA2 may have a second width WH2 in the seconddirection DR2. In particular, the second width WH2 of the second slotportion PA2 may be greater than the first width WH1 of the first slotportion PA1. The second width WH2 of the second slot portion PA2 may bedefined by a plurality of sub-widths that gradually increase along thefirst direction DR1 in an inward direction away from the first sidewall210. For instance, the second width WH2 of the second slot portion PA2may increase as the distance from the first sidewall 210 increases inthe first direction DR1. As shown in FIG. 3 , the second width WH2 inthe second slot portion PA2 may be greater than the first width WH1 inthe first slot portion PA1.

The first edge portion SS1 of the substrate CS, which has a curvedshape, may be disposed in the first slot portion PA1 of the first slotST1. The second slot ST2 may be a space having a shape substantiallylinearly symmetrical to the first slot ST1 in the first direction DR1.For example, the second slot ST2 may include a third slot portioncorresponding to the first slot portion PA1 of the first slot ST1 and afourth slot portion corresponding to the second slot portion PA2 of thefirst slot ST1. As a result, the second edge portion SS2 of thesubstrate CS, which has a curved shape, may be received in the thirdslot portion of the second slot ST2.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the first rib 220 may include a first outersurface P1, a second outer surface P2, and a third outer surface P3 whenviewed in plan. The first outer surface P1 may include a first surfaceportion P1 a projecting from the first sidewall 210 and in a directionsubstantially parallel to the first direction DR1 and a second surfaceportion P1 b inclined from the first surface portion P1 a in the seconddirection DR2. As an example, an angle AT formed between the firstsurface portion P1 a and the second surface portion P1 b may be within arange from about 15 degrees to about 25 degrees.

The second outer surface P2 may face the first outer surface P1 in thesecond direction DR2 and may project from the first sidewall 210. Inparticular, the second outer surface P2 may be substantially parallel tothe first surface portion P1 a of the first outer surface P1 and may becloser the second surface portion P1 b in the second direction DR2 thanthe first surface portion P1 a.

The third outer surface P3 may connect the second surface portion P1 bof the first outer surface P1 to the second outer surface P2, and atleast a portion of the third outer surface P3 may have a generallycurved shape.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the first width WH1 of the first slot portion PA1may be within a range from about 1.5 micrometers to about 3.0micrometers. In recent years, as the thickness of substrates of displaydevices has decreased, the width WH1 of the first slot portion PA1 mayalso decrease to correspond to the thickness of the substrates andbetter accommodate them without slippage or the like.

However, when the second width of the second slot portion PA2 is thesame as the first width of the first slot portion PA1, the first ribs220 or the second ribs 320 may be partially damaged during a process ofmaking the substrate cassette 10. For instance, a process of forming thefirst accommodating portion 200 is as follows. A mother substratecontaining a plastic material may be prepared. After a heat is appliedto the mother substrate, the mother substrate may be pressed by a moldthat is designed to correspond to the shape of the first and second ribs220 and 320. Then, the heated mother substrate may be molded to fit theshape of the mold in a vacuum state.

For example, when both the first slot portion and the second slotportion have the first width, the vacuum state may not be maintained atthe end of the first slot portion adjacent to the first sidewall throughthe second slot portion. In this case, the shape of the portion of themother substrate corresponding to the first slot portion may bedifferent from a reference shape, e.g., the shape of the mold.

However, according to principles and embodiments of the invention, thesecond width WH2 of the second slot portion PA2 may be greater than thefirst width WH1 of the first slot portion PA1. Thus, the vacuum statemay be maintained at the end of the first slot portion PA1 through thesecond slot portion PA2 in the process in which the heated mothersubstrate is molded to fit the shape of the mold in the vacuum state. Asa result, the shape of the portion of the mother substrate correspondingto the first slot portion PA1 may be the substantially same as thereference shape, e.g., the shape of the mold.

In addition, as the second width WH2 of the second slot portion PA2 isgreater than the first width WH1 of the first slot portion PA1, thesubstrate CS may be more easily received in the slot and accommodated bythe cassette.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 5 , the substrates CS may be accommodatedin the substrate cassette 10 by having their ends received in the firstribs 220 of the first accommodating portion 200 and the second ribs 320of the second accommodating portion 300. FIG. 5 shows the substratecassette 10 that accommodates plural substrates CS, but embodiments arenot limited thereto. For example, the substrate cassette 10 may have astructure in which one substrate CS is accommodated.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the cassetteconstructed according to the principles of the invention, and FIG. 7 isa plan view of an accommodating portion of the cassette of FIG. 6 .

The substrate cassette 10-1 shown in FIG. 6 may include a plate 100, afirst accommodating portion 200, a second accommodating portion 300 a,and a third accommodating portion 400 cassette. For example, thesubstrate cassette 10-1 of FIG. 6 is different from the substratecassette 10 of FIG. 1 in that the third accommodating portion 400 isadded, and the structure of the second accommodating portion 300 a ischanged. For example, the plate 100 and the first accommodating portion200 of FIG. 6 may be substantially the same as those of FIG. 1 .Hereinafter, the second accommodating portion 300 a and the thirdaccommodating portion 400 will be mainly described for descriptiveconvenience.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the second accommodating portion 300 a maybe disposed between the first accommodating portion 200 and the thirdaccommodating portion 400 and may be disposed on the plate 100. Thesecond accommodating portion 300 a may include a second sidewall 310 a,a plurality of second ribs 320 a, and a plurality of third ribs 330 a.

The second sidewall 310 a may project from an upper surface of the plate100 in the third direction DR3 and may extend in the second directionDR2. The second ribs 320 a may have substantially the same shape as thesecond ribs 320 shown in FIG. 1 and may respectively face first ribs220. According to the embodiment, the first ribs 220 and the second ribs320 a may have a substantially linearly symmetrical shape with respectto a center line substantially parallel to the second direction DR2.

The third ribs 330 a and the second ribs 320 a may have a linearlysymmetrical shape with respect to the second sidewall 310 a interposedtherebetween. That is, the third ribs 330 a may have substantially thesame structure as the first ribs 220 and may face the thirdaccommodating portion 400. The third ribs 330 a may project in the firstdirection DR1 and may be arranged in the second direction DR2 at regularintervals. For example, the adjacent third ribs 330 a may be spacedapart from each other by a substantially constant interval in the seconddirection DR2.

Each third slot ST3 may be defined by two third ribs 330 a adjacent toeach other. In particular, each third slot ST3 may include a fifth slotportion corresponding to the first slot portion PA1 shown in FIG. 3 anda sixth slot portion corresponding to the second slot portion PA2 shownin FIG. 3 .

The third accommodating portion 400 may include a third sidewall 410protruding from the upper surface of the plate 100 in the thirddirection DR3 and extending in the second direction DR2 and fourth ribs420 protruding from the third sidewall 410.

The fourth ribs 420 may project in the first direction DR1 and may bearranged in the second direction DR2 at regular intervals. Particularly,the fourth ribs 420 may respectively face the third ribs 330 a in thefirst direction DR1.

Each fourth slot ST4 may be defined by two adjacent fourth ribs 420. Inparticular, each fourth slot ST4 may include a seventh slot portioncorresponding to the first slot portion PA1 shown in FIG. 3 and aneighth slot portion corresponding to the second slot portion PA2 shownin FIG. 3 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , one first substrate CS1 may be disposed between thefirst slot ST1 and the second slot ST2, and another second substrate CS2may be disposed between the third slot ST3 and the fourth slot ST4.

As described above, the substrate cassette 10-1 may include the secondribs 320 a and the third ribs 330 a protruding in opposite directions,respectively, with respect to the second sidewall 310 a, i.e., in adirection toward the first ribs 220 and a direction toward the fourthribs 420.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of another embodiment of the cassette constructedaccording to the principles of the invention, and FIG. 9 is a plan viewof a rib of the cassette of FIG. 8 .

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9 , the substrate cassette 10-2 may havesubstantially the same structure as the substrate cassette 10 shown inFIG. 2 except for the shape of first ribs 220-1 and second ribs 320-1.Hereinafter, the shape of the first ribs 220-1 and the second ribs 320-1will be mainly described for descriptive convenience.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the first ribs 220-1 may respectively face thesecond ribs 320-1 in the first direction DR1. The first ribs 220-1 andthe second ribs 320-1 may be substantially linearly symmetrical withrespect to a center line substantially parallel to the second directionDR2. Each first slot ST1 a may be defined between two adjacent firstribs 220-1, and each second slot ST2 a may be defined between twoadjacent second ribs 320-1.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the width of the first slot ST1a in the second direction DR2 may gradually increase as the distancefrom a first sidewall 210 increases inwardly in the first direction DR1.The width of the second slot ST2 a in the second direction DR2 maygradually increase as the distance from the second sidewall 310increases inwardly in the first direction DR1.

In detail, as shown in FIG. 9 , each of the first ribs 220-1 may includea first outer surface P1-1, a second outer surface P2, and a third outersurface P3. In particular, the first outer surface P1-1 shown in FIG. 9may have an inclined shape when compared with the first outer surface P1shown in FIG. 4 . In detail, the first outer surface P1-1 may form apredetermined angle AT-1 with a reference line substantially parallel tothe first direction DR1. The second ribs 320-1 may have thesubstantially same structure as the first ribs 220-1.

Although certain embodiments and implementations have been describedherein, other embodiments and modifications will be apparent from thisdescription. Accordingly, the inventive concepts are not limited to suchembodiments, but rather to the broader scope of the appended claims andvarious obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements as would beapparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cassette for receiving at least one substratefor a display device, the cassette comprising: a base portionsubstantially parallel to a plane defined by a first direction and asecond direction perpendicular to the first direction; a first wallportion extending in a third direction generally perpendicular to theplane; a first projecting portion extending from the first wall portionto the first direction; and a second projecting portion extending fromthe first wall portion to the first direction and arranged in a seconddirection to the first projecting portion; wherein each of the firstprojecting portion and the second projecting portion comprises; a firstouter surface having a first surface portion projecting from the firstwall portion and being substantially parallel to the first direction,and a second surface portion inclined in a fourth direction between thefirst direction and the second direction; a second outer surface facingthe first outer surface; and a third outer surface disposed between thefirst outer surface and the second outer surface, and comprising a firstcurved portion adjacent to the first outer surface and a second curvedportion adjacent to the second outer surface, the first curved portionof the first projecting portion and the second curved portion of thesecond projecting portion faces the at least one substrate.
 2. Thecassette of claim 1, wherein: a first opening is defined between thefirst projecting portion and the second projecting portion to receiveone end of the at least one substrate, the first opening comprises afirst portion having a first width in the second direction and a secondportion having a second width greater than the first width, the firstportion is disposed closer to the first wall portion than the secondportion, and the first width is substantially constant.
 3. The cassetteof claim 2, wherein the second width gradually increases inwardly in thefirst direction.
 4. The cassette of claim 3, wherein the second surfaceportion of the first outer surface is closer to the second outer surfacein the second direction than the first surface portion of the firstouter surface.
 5. The cassette of claim 2, further comprising a secondwall portion facing the first wall portion in the first direction,wherein the second wall portion extends in the third direction andcomprises: a third projecting portion facing the first projectingportion; and a fourth projecting portion facing the second projectingportion; wherein the third projecting portion and the fourth projectingportion respectively projecting from the second wall portion in thefirst direction, and wherein the third projecting portion and the fourthprojecting portion arranged in the second direction, and a secondopening defined between adjacent third projecting portion and fourthprojecting portion to receive the other end of the at least onesubstrate.
 6. The cassette of claim 5, wherein the second openingcomprises a third portion having the first width and a fourth portionhaving the second width, and the third portion is disposed closer to thesecond wall portion than the fourth portion.
 7. The cassette of claim 6,wherein the first and second openings comprise first and second slots,respectively, and the second slot has a shape substantially linearlysymmetrical to the first slot.
 8. The cassette of claim 5, furthercomprising a third wall portion, wherein: the second wall portionfurther comprises a fifth projecting portion substantially linearlysymmetrical to the third projecting portion with respect to the secondwall portion and a sixth projecting portion substantially linearlysymmetrical to the fourth projecting portion with respect to the secondwall portion, wherein the third wall portion extends in the thirddirection and comprises seventh projecting portion facing the fifthprojecting portion, eighth projecting portion facing the sixthprojecting portion, and the seventh projecting portion extending fromthe third wall portion to the first direction; and the eighth projectingportion extending from the third wall portion to the first direction andarranged in a second direction to the seventh projecting portion;
 9. Thecassette of claim 8, wherein: a third opening is defined betweenadjacent fifth projecting portion and sixth projecting portion toreceive one end of a second substrate, a fourth opening is definedbetween adjacent seventh projecting portion and eighth projectingportion to receive the other end of the second substrate, the thirdopening comprises a fifth portion having the first width in the seconddirection and a sixth portion having the second width in the seconddirection, the fourth opening comprises a seventh portion having thefirst width and an eighth portion having the second width in the seconddirection, the fifth portion is closer to the second wall portion thanthe sixth portion, and the seventh portion is closer to the third wallportion than the eighth portion.
 10. The cassette of claim 9, whereinthe fourth opening has a shape substantially linearly symmetrical to thethird opening.
 11. The cassette of claim 5, wherein the at least onesubstrate comprises: a substantially flat portion; a first edge portionbent from one end of the substantially flat portion and accommodated inthe first opening; and a second edge portion bent from the other end ofthe substantially flat portion and accommodated in the second opening.